Quickstart Guide: Set Up Your Restaurant in 5 Minutes

The 5-Minute Setup Blueprint

TableStruck was engineered to eliminate weeks of complicated legacy POS and reservation setups. By following the 5 steps below, your dining room will be fully configured, bookable online, and protected against costly no-shows.

Use the interactive checklist above to track your setup progress. Your selections are automatically saved in your browser as you complete each task.

Step 1: Venue Profile, Theme & Australian ABN Compliance

Navigate to Settings -> General in your restaurant dashboard. Here you establish your venue's customer-facing brand identity and tax compliance credentials:

• Australian Business Number (ABN): Enter your 11-digit ABN. TableStruck prints this on diner receipts and your monthly tax invoices to satisfy Australian GST compliance standards.

• Brand Accent Colors: Select your primary brand color and default theme preference (Dark Mode or Crisp Light). The public booking widget dynamically styles itself to match your restaurant aesthetic.

• Operating Shifts & Slot Intervals: Define your lunch (e.g. 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM) and dinner (e.g. 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM) shifts, with your desired turn intervals (15, 30, or 45-minute booking slots).

Step 2: Interactive 2D Floor Plan Canvas

Head to your Restaurant Dashboard to open the visual Floor Plan Canvas. Unlike legacy spreadsheets or rigid 'zone' lists, TableStruck renders an actual spatial blueprint of your venue.

• Spawn Tables: Click '+ Round' or '+ Rectangle' from the canvas toolbar. Tables spawn at the visual center of your screen, ready to be dragged into position.

• Configure Capacities: Set Min and Max covers for each table (e.g. Min 2, Max 4). Our 4-tier allocation engine will prioritize seating parties of 2 at 2-tops first, protecting larger tables for bigger revenue groups.

• Multi-Floor Navigation: If your venue has a Rooftop, Balcony, or Private Dining Room, create dedicated Floor Tabs with custom grid sizing and background colors.

Step 3: Connect Stripe for 0% Brokerage Deposits

Under Settings -> Billing & Deposits, click 'Connect with Stripe'. This initiates the standard Stripe Express onboarding, linking your Australian business bank account.

TableStruck charges ZERO commission and ZERO brokerage on credit card holds, prepayment deposits, and no-show fee charges. 100% of the funds flow straight from Stripe to your bank account on rolling 2-day payouts.

You can configure flexible deposit rules: require a $20/person hold for prime Friday/Saturday night shifts, or mandate full prepayment for large party sizes of 6+ guests.

Step 4: Automated 24h SMS Reconfirmations

Under Settings -> Notifications, activate automated guest SMS reminders. Our system handles diner communication automatically so your host team doesn't have to manually call guests:

• Instant Booking Confirmation: Diners receive an immediate SMS and branded email confirmation with their booking details and calendar invite link.

• 24-Hour Reconfirmation Prompt: Diners receive an automated SMS with a 1-click 'Confirm' or 'Cancel' link. If they cancel, the reserved table is instantly unlocked and made available to other diners.

• Real-Time Host Alerts: Host stand iPads receive non-intrusive chimes whenever a booking is created, reconfirmed, or canceled.

Step 5: Embed Booking Widget & Run Live Test

With your floor plan and settings configured, copy your responsive 1-line iframe widget snippet and paste it onto your website.

You can also share your direct link (e.g. `tablestruck.com/book/your-restaurant`) on your Instagram bio, Google Business profile, and Facebook page.

Perform a live test booking using your own phone number: verify that the SMS confirmation arrives within seconds, the table appears seated on your 2D Canvas, and the reservation is logged in your Guest CRM.